Get Backers Once More
by TheOriginalSnakeEyes
Summary: Some years have passed in Shinjuku, and the need for a retrieval service can be felt by all, a new duo surfaces and new debts are quick to follow.
1. Darkness and Light in Shinjuku again

Disclaimer: Don't own much of anything but meaning itself…I hate William Faulkner.

Get Backers Once More

Chapter One: Dark and Light in Shinjuku Again

Shinjuku was a lonely place now, how long had it been, really though, it didn't matter, not to the man walking its sidewalks anyway. Shifting his black spectacles almost in tune with the cool breeze that then came, the man peered around at this place, this den of memories from which so many legends had been made along with nightmares. Nodding all this away as one who was told stories growing up, the man continued walking forward until he reached his destination, a dive hole in the wall bar called "Honky Tonk".

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"So Ginji, what's the big idea here?" the bartender Paul Wan asked, tightening the bandanna around his graying hair while stifling a yawn.

"Hmm, dunno, Ban-Chan called me last night with this "we need to talk, meet me at the old place tomorrow" message. Aw man, Natsumi was pissed."

"Yeah well, ditching your wife for your old loser business partner and taking your daughter along could constitute a well deserved mood swing." Paul put bluntly. From that, another yawn could be heard, this time from the bathroom as a girl about a half head below Ginji made her way to the counter.

"Daddy, why are we here? I want to go back to bed." The girl whined setting herself down. Normally Ginji would have taken his "little girl" right home and begged Natsumi for forgiveness, but the other night…

"Well Emiko, you know Daddy's old business partner right? Uncle Ban-Chan?" Ginji asked as he began to sip the coffee Paul had set down while muttering something about an "Infinite Tab" or something.

"Yeah I remember him, Uncle Shido always called him "that snake bast-"

"Emiko! What would your Mom think if she heard you talking like that?" Ginji asked putting the spot on his daughter.

"Daaaaad, I'm seventeen. I can't drink, I can't smoke, why can't I curse? You were practically King of Shinjuku at my age." The two then began to argue lightheartedly with Paul setting down some breakfast dishes for them without them asking. He sighed with a smile all the same as the two began devouring the food in true father/daughter likeness. The jingle of some door bells then signified the entrance of another player.

"Oh Paul, you'd think after twenty years you would at least consider redecorating this…uhm…it was a restaurant right?" HEVN stated as she walked in with all the poise and grace she possessed at forty one years of age.

"Ha ha HEVN, you still working for the government or is it still hush hush?" Paul replied with a smirk. HEVN stuck out her tongue in brash defiance of maturity. She then sat down, waited for a few moments and then looked up.

"Oh HEVN, good to see you again, I didn't even hear you come in." Ginji said with a smile on his face, marred only by some rouge food crumbs and stray eggs.

"Yeah, hi Auntie HEVN. Sorry but we were hungry." Emiko muttered in apology. HEVN smiled and rubbed the girls blond head affectionately.

"Don't even worry about it; I'm just glad you got only your Dad's appetite and your moms brains." Ginji felt like smacking his forehead on the counter at that but opted instead to continue eating. Emiko blushed and continued eating though with more manners than before.

After a few minutes of chatting about nothing Paul then decided to re-break the ice.

"Hey HEVN, you tend to be in the loop, what's the deal. You know what Ban's cooking up this time?" HEVN's casual smile then turned sour as her yellow eyes flickered.

"Like I try to keep up with that snake bastard, who knows whatever the hell he wants. Besides I only came to make sure Ginji was raising my darling little niece up right."

Ginji's response was an eloquent one, detailing the trials and errors of parenthood, of what it means to start and raise a family with someone you love, however it was slightly put down by the fact he was trying to say it with two pieces of toast in his mouth.

"Ginji you slob, learn some manners. Didn't I teach you anything?" came the always arrogant, always confident voice of one…"I…the invincible Ban Mido-Sama?" Ban said causally without a trace of doubt in his voice. Ginji and Emiko brightened visibly at his entrance as did Paul but HEVN merely glared and looked away.

"Uncle Ban-Chan!" Emiko yelled as she jumped from her seat and embraced her "uncle" in a genuine Amano bear hug.

"Hey hey, Emiko, good to see you and that you've grown." Ban muttered the last part feeling the girls' chest on his arm. Suddenly a hand on his shoulder gave him a very quick, but painful jolt. Turning his head, the invincible snake master came face to face with the former Lightning Lord of the Volts.

"Ban-Chan, you dirty old snake, lay off my daughter." Ginji said.

"Don't worry Dad, older men are appealing but not old like Uncle Ban-Chan!" those gathered at the bar collectively laughed knowing that Bans recently passing the forty year old mark was a sensitive issue for the Jagan man.

"Ahem, if you children I'd like to get down to the point." Ban stated with cold venom, shifting his purple spectacles to cover his sky blue eyes.

"Sorry Ban-Chan, what's the issue? What was so important?" Ginji asked, calming himself down to the point where his electricity wasn't a threat to those around him. Oddly enough, Emiko followed the same procedure and the room seemed to darken slightly as a result.

"Well, remember…oh I don't know like ten years ago…the invincible Ban Mido, master of the Jagan, snake bite user extraordinaire, breast master and all around supreme man of the world teamed up with some blond chump from some slum?" the group nodded, used to Bans slightly high opinion of himself, with the exception of Ginji who nearly fell out off the stool. HEVN, although she nodded in agreement, refused to take in the full sight of the snake man, a fact that Ban acknowledged with a look and quiet sigh.

"So, anyway, what I was saying is basically this: it's time for the Get Backers to make their grand return back to Japan!" Ban closed his eyes in anticipation of the accolades he would receive for this, a truly brilliant idea.

"Is that it? Damn it Ban, I thought you came here to announce you finally paying your tab."

"Well Ban-Chan it was nice seeing you again, don't be a stranger around the house okay? Come on Emiko; let's head out before Mom makes it so you'll be an only child."

"Okay, bye Uncle Ban-Chan!"

"You know, I guess it's my fault, I should know by now your endeavors are usually a waste of my time." With HEVNs' last statement Ban could grind his teeth no longer.

**"Would you all just hold the hell up!?"** Ban yelled out using his legendary grip to crush the door knob he was holding. This last action caused a gasp and shudder from one Paul Wan.

"Oh, uh, sorry Paul, anyway I'm serious! The Get Backers have been out of action for too long and Japan needs them again." Ginji looked at his old partner and did something totally out of character, he disagreed with him.

"I'm sorry Ban-Chan but it's been awhile you know? Me and Natsumi have our business, and she's still in school, priorities dude." Ginji and Emiko began walking out of the Honky Tonk towards the car the family had scraped together to buy. Emiko cast a sad gaze back at her uncle who, oddly enough, was just holding back laughs.

"Ginji…Ginji, your training under me really didn't stick did it? I never said anything about you and me coming back did I? I'm confident, not stupid." The Amanos' outside the bar didn't feel like responding nor did the Coordinator or Bartender inside the bar to **that** statement.

"Ban…what exactly are you talking about?" Ginji asked with a sigh, his curiosity piqued, Emiko followed him back into the building and back to the bar.

"Simply put Ginji my man, we're gonna get some new Get Backers, kind of like mentor em. See what I'm saying?" Ban explained.

"You getting this Paul?" HEVN asked.

"Not really, if its not tab money it ain't worth my ears." Ban, meanwhile, had somehow maneuvered his way between Ginji and Emiko.

"So, Uncle Ban-Chan, who are the new Get Backers going to be?" Emiko ventured a guess, as did Ginji, as they both witnessed the snake mans arms around both Ginji and Emiko.

"You, my dear, I already know about your talents and knowing old eel boy here you know how to use them." Ginjis' eyes widened at this.

"No No No No! Absolutely not, Ban-Chan!" with Ginji shaking the snake man by his lapels, Emiko could only begin to process this information.

"Me? A Get…Backer?" the two former Get Backers argued for quite some time about the positives and negatives of this future endeavor, that is until a frustrated Paul asked the obvious.

"Even if she were to become a Get Backer, who the hell would her partner be? You don't exactly have a lot of friends to call favors from Ban."

"Or any for that matter." HEVN finished. Ban was tempted to use his snake grip on HEVNs' sizable "assets" just then. Oddly enough in the commotion, no one heard the doors to the Honky Tonk opening again.

"Excuse me, Mr. Wan is it? I'm here to meet some…oh there it is." The new player stated with a glare from behind dark square shades towards Ban who promptly slung his arm around the younger mans shoulder.

"This guys and gals is the other half of the new Get Backers, Kuro Takeshi!" Ban then proceeded to grin triumphantly as the slightly taller, young man could only raise an eyebrow.

To Be Continued.

AN: Hey everyone, I'm new to the Get Backers fan fiction scene, but I've watched some of the anime and have all the American manga of it so far, so I'm not a total scrub! As a note this takes place twenty years ahead of the current series and also take note I have yet to see the whole series…heh…maybe this should be an AU? Oh well, read and review if you can.


	2. No? Are you sure?

Disclaimer: Same as before, no changes, well maybe one but it's a secret…actually no.

AN: To Atropo's Knife, I really appreciate the review and hope to make this story good enough for more, I've read your stuff as well as many other writers in this category and found hopefully a niche for myself, well here we go.

Get Backers Once More

Chapter Two: No? Are you sure?

"No." the two men conversing near the bar in the dive called "Honky Tonk" looked alike, but couldn't be anymore different. The slightly shorter one was put off by this remark as he flashed his blue eyes towards his companions' greens.

"No? What do you mean no?" Ban asked in increasing volume drawing even the normally aloof Paul away from his newspaper to witness. "Kuro" Takeshi removed his black square sunglasses and stuck them in one of the pockets of his black dress suit jacket.

"I mean No, I have no desire what so ever to help you out of you're mid life crisis." The taller man stated brushing Bans arm off from around his shoulder. Those in attendance were shocked at the callous apathetic tone this statement was covered in, but none so much as Ban.

"You got a lot a nerve! I trained you, formed from a lump of Euro-Trash clay to a half decent guy and you-"Ban was silenced by Kuro once again.

"Amano-San, I only came because you said it was important; don't tell me you agree with this?" Ginji, who had just polished off his breakfast, swallowed down the last few bits of food and got up to face Kuro.

"Well Kuro-Chan, it kind of makes sense if you think about it. I mean people lose stuff right? And someone's gotta get it back for them; just not two old farts like me and Ban-Chan." Ban snorted at this yet Kuro was unphased. He then turned his head slowly to look at the bar and those there.

"Sorry Amano-San not interested." Kuro said, taking a seat at the bar and shocking Paul by ordering breakfast and paying for it up front.

"So, this is what it's like." Paul muttered, accepting actual physical money from a customer. Ban then sat down on Kuros' right while Ginji sat next to Emiko who was on Kuros left. Emiko opened her mouth as if to say something, or at least greet the man who might become her partner but found the mans gaze too intense, too for lack of a better term: "scary", to talk to.

"Kuro, don't think I don't know how you have been getting by, you've been running a retrieval service of your own, right?" Ban asked, HEVN swore she could have seen a serpentine tongue lash out for a moment. Kuro merely lidded his emerald eyes and took a sip of the black coffee offered to him by way of Paul.

"Part time, fool, part time. It's only until I get in to Todai or at the very least Waseda." At that Paul crinkled his newspaper, Ban smirked, Emiko nearly choked on her coffee, HEVN raised and eyebrow and Ginji was…

"Waseda? Todai? You want to be a pop star Kuro-Chan?" a hit from Ban sent Ginji into the bar counter.

"Can you even breathe on your own Ginji?! Those two schools are some of the best in the country! Hell, Todai **is** the best!" Ban yelled.

"You're going? To one of those schools, I mean what about the entrance exams?" Emiko asked, bewildered as she suddenly remembered all the horror stories from her high school about last minute/late night cram sessions, days without sleep and the infection of heartwarming stories that trying to get into those schools created.

"I took the practice exams, scored something like fifth or second or something, I just need to save up some money as I'd rather not have to deal with the snakes…" Kuro glanced at Ban. "…the other snakes at the student loan department." HEVN ventured a look at the man who so nonchalantly stated he was doing what caused Ban and Ginji so much trouble.

"Pardon my rudeness but…are you any good?" HEVN asked. Kuro chewed on that…and his food for a few seconds before responding.

"I wouldn't really know, I don't do it to be _good_, rather I just do it for the money, so…I suppose to answer you I'm as good as I need to be." HEVN smiled, a little surprised at the blunt honesty of the reply or rather a reply like that coming from a guy who looked so much like Ban.

"Come on Kuro-Man, you're practically a Get Backer already, why not take the complete plunge?" Ban asked who then requested from Paul a possible early lunch only to hear the sharp pitch of a suddenly opened newspaper.

"Plunge? You mean bathing in fountains and living off hand me downs from the homeless? No thanks."

"But why not?!" Ban asked/yelled in an odd pout.

"Because I have a thing called pride Ban, no offense Amano-San." Kuro said finishing his breakfast quickly and then sipping his coffee.

"None taken Kuro-Chan, but are you really sure? Who knows, it could be fun to be a Get Backer, I enjoyed it!" Ginji said with a hand behind his head. Kuro couldn't help a small, almost imperceptible smile to that. Ban, seeing his opportunity jumped to Emikos' right.

"Yeah Kuro, it'll be fun and you'll get this cutie with you free of charge!" Ban said while cradling Emikos' head so that she was looking right at Kuro. The master of the Jagan soon found himself beaten down by two fists courtesy of HEVN and Emiko and a severe electric jolt from Mr. Raitei himself who then went on to continue yelling at Ban for even considering putting his daughter in danger. Kuro sighed and then left a tip for Paul much to his delight, Emiko looked up with a raised eyebrow at the mans near total apathy.

"Thank you once again for wasting my time Ban Mido." Kuro stood up and placed his sunglasses back on, gingerly stepping over the prone form of Ban.

"Kuro-Chan…" Ginji started.

"I'm sorry Amano-San, but your line of work is not for me."

"You can just call me Ginji…" a few seconds later and Kuro was out the door, with a quickly recovered Ban right out after him.

"Dad, who was that guy, Uncle Ban-Chans' son or…" Emiko began, seeing the odd reactions she was receiving from this question she decided to stop herself.

"Well, Emi, it's kind of complicated…I mean they're not related but I guess you could say they have a father-son, mentor…uh…er…" it was now Ginjis turn to stutter off.

"Let's just say that years ago, when Ban left Japan, he found a kindred spirit in Russia. I'll leave the rest for one of them to explain." Paul said pulling his eyes back behind the newspaper. HEVN then cleared her throat and began to walk out rather hastily, a fact that neither Ginji nor Emiko failed to notice.

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"What the hell is your problem!?" Ban yelled out, practically waking all of Lower Town. Kuro looked at him casually and then slid a cancer stick between his lips, as he lit up he responded.

"I said it in there Ban; I have no desire whatsoever to become a Get Backer." Ban thought on this, and then took out a cigarette of his own, Kuro tossed his lighter and the two smoked outside the Honky Tonk for a few minutes in perfect silence.

"So, how's Miss Himiko?" Kuro asked.

"Don't change the subject, I want to know what the hell the big deal is about you becoming a dakkanya." A few more moments passed as the air near the duo became steadily more foggy. "You'll make a lot of money." Ban added in a sing song tone.

"Don't care."

"You'll meet lots of cute chicks…even though most will probably want to kill you…"

"Wow…appealing" deadpan.

"…okay, I didn't want to play this card Kuro-Chan but…if you do a few jobs like two or three…I'll tell you what I know about…her whereabouts and his." Some ash fell to the wet concrete as proof of a shaken cigarette. Kuro looked over at Ban and found not a trace of mirth in his far off expression nor of any cynicism as he looked up at the early morning sky. With one last sigh and a hand through his hair, Kuro sealed his fate for the time being.

"Alright, two, three jobs max, but I expect that information and soon." Ban smiled a genuine smile which quickly perverted itself.

"So, it's been a few months Kuro-Chan how many girls have you used my "after hours" training on?" Kuro smirked a lazy way.

"Not much, probably still about double your virgin snake ass." Ban glared for a moment but could only hold it for a moment or two as he burst out laughing with Kuro allowing a laugh or two.

"Hey Snake bastard!" HEVN yelled out as she was leaving the Honky Tonk.

"Ah, the babe signal, yes my dear?" Ban asked in some faux mock sincerity. HEVN scowled and took out her phone.

"I hope you have Kuro-Chan convinced because a new job offer just came in…"

To Be Continued

AN: Hope you enjoyed it, read and review if you can, later.


	3. The First Return Part One

Disclaimer: Standard, you know.

AN: Not much to report except that GTA: SA and work have been eating up my spare time a lot lately, I'm sorry for the delay and on with the show.

Get Backers Once More

Chapter Three: The First Return (Part One)

Kuro stroked his forehead out of exasperation for what felt like the thirty second time that day as he peered through his binoculars towards the target: a pretty standard looking oil tanker, barreling down the express way. However, what made this truck important, important enough for a retrieval was the fact that-

"Takeshi-San, you still haven't told me what we will be retrieving!" Emiko pouted in the passenger seat of Kuros two seat Ford. Kuro looked at his "partner" and sighed again, flashing back to that morning…

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"So, this is it?" Kuro asked, adjusting his cigarette between his lips.

"Yeah, this is the target, apparently Mr. Kido witnessed some kind of sour goings on within his company, so, to keep him quiet, his daughter was kidnapped and put on a truck with other "expendables" to be…used…as well…" HEVN stammered, not quite sure how to describe the rest of the synopsis that "Mr. Kido" had given her as his handwriting was quite bad.

"'Genetic Varietic Purification', body whoring and homicide in one nice little sense." Ban finished, snatching the crumpled notebook paper from the coordinators hand.

"I see, and he mailed this to you through the post office rather than by e-mail to avoid any chance of being tracked." Kuro said, taking a drag of his cigarette.

"I'm retrieving Ms. Kido, right? From the tanker, doesn't seem that hard."

"I'll bet Bans used to men and women saying that, anyway, yes, that is the mission in summation." HEVN smiled, while Ban fumed enough to steam the early morning air around him. Baring his hands, Ban looked like he was about to "make a grab for paradise" until Kuro stepped between the two.

"Jeez, Ban, how old are you? I'll take the job." Ban mumbled something as he kicked some dirt up, seeing an opening, HEVN pressed her advantage.

"Oh, Kuro-Kun, you're certainly more a man than Ban ever was." HEVN said with much theatric effect while slinking her arm around Kuros. A vein seemed to just be "discovered" on Bans forehead upon witnessing this. Kuro raised an eyebrow and took another drag from his cigarette.

"Sure I'm legal HEVN?" Kuro said with a grin more befitting Ban at his most snake. Ban lightened up at this.

"BURN!" he yelled out loud at the top of his lungs as he patted Kuros shoulder at light speed like an older brother while pointing at the embarrassed target. HEVN smirked away her blush in response.

"Oh, Kuro-Kun, I was hoping you hadn't learned Bans sense of humor, oh well, maybe your new partner will knock some sense into you." The blond woman said with a few drops of malice.

"No suspense Miss Angel, who is my partner? Snake Bastard, Amano-San-"Kuro was cut off by Ban.

"Hey! Why are you so formal with Ginji and not even close to nice with me?!" Kuro directed his emerald eyes towards his apparent snake mentor.

"Because I **respect** Amano-San." Ban nearly toppled over with what looked like a heart attack at that. HEVN giggled at that as she led Kuro by the hand back to the doors of the Honky Tonk.

"Your back in my good graces Kuro-Kun, but anyway, your partner is going to be-"

"Me, I guess." Emiko said, holding back the fear in her voice at this new venture, Ginji though…

"HEVN-San, no! Absolutely not! Natsumi would kill me two hundred times over if she found out; I'd want to kill myself to! I can't let this happen!" Ginji yelled, darting between Kuro and Emiko.

"Her, as my partner? Is she good?" Kuro asked HEVN, paying no mind to the sparking Ginji. HEVN responded with a wink.

"Oh, she's got something alright, cute too hmm, you like blonds Kuro-Kun?" HEVN feigned a pout at this.

"Wha?! Emi-Chan with…with…Kuro-Chan!? But he's evil, he's like Ban!" Ginji yelled, practically crying at the prospect of Kuro being his son in law.

"And what the hell is that supposed to mean limp dick!" Ban screamed, bursting through the doors, damaging their hinges much to Paul's chagrin.

"Relax Ginji; I only meant that Kuro would be comfortable working with Emiko, the off spring of the former Lightning Lord of Shinjuku. Who I'm sure you have trained, right Ginji?" HEVN asked Ginji, whose resolve faltered a bit at this.

"Yeah, dad gave me some self defense lessons; I remember it was right after mom taught me to cook." Emiko said with a finger to her chin, not realizing the implications of what she was saying.

"Emiko? You don't really want to…do this? Do you?" Ginji asked almost pleadingly towards his so far only child. Emiko looked at her fathers big brown eyes, and didn't quite know how to respond, it was dangerous sure but…

"Auntie HEVN, you said some one was in trouble right? A girl being kidnapped?" HEVN nodded at this. "Dad, I want to help, I wouldn't be able to sleep knowing some girl, a girl who could have been me or mom or anyone else…be in danger, isn't that what you and Uncle Ban-Chan thought when you became retrievers?" Emiko responded, her violet eyes focused yet almost tearing.

"And besides, it could be fun!" she added, almost causing a collective collapse around the room. Ban adjusted his purple lenses with a reptilian grin plastered on his face.

"The girls got it." Kuro heard the whisper and looked back, raising an eyebrow. He then made a glance, making sure Ban would remember the terms of this agreement, the man of the Jagan responded with a slightly more somber smile and a nod. Suddenly, Ban leaped behind Kuro and shoved him forward towards Emiko.

"Kuro Takeshi, meet your fellow GetBacker…"

"Emiko Amano, who you'd better protect Kuro-Chan." Ginji said with a smile that spoke volumes. Kuro nearly flinched as he remembered not only the legends of "The Lightning Lord Ginji Amano" but also of the actual stories Ban had told him.

"Dad, I'm sure me and Takeshi-San will get along just fine." Emiko said, standing up and gently pulling her father back.

"No No No No! No "San" in this business my dear, from now on you depend on him, as he does you, call him "Chan" or "Kun", he is your partner, like a brother, like another half like-"

"Quit embarrassing us both you idiot." Kuro deadpanned as everyone, even the usually aloof Paul, burst into fits of laughter.

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"That was pretty funny, wasn't it Takeshi-San?" Emiko said, as if reading his thoughts. Snapped out of his reconnaissance, Kuro looked over.

"Yeah, sometimes the snake is just too easy." Emiko smiled and then ventured a guess.

"You two, you and Ban are close, are you related?" Emiko asked, silencing the question in her mind as to why Ban and Kuro look so much alike. The grip on the binoculars tightened slightly.

"We're **not** related, and as to why we look so much alike…that's a matter of opinion."

"I'm sorry Takeshi-San." Emiko muttered, looking down with a blush. Seeing this, Kuro put down the binoculars.

"Don't worry about it, and call me Kuro, everyone else does no matter what I tell them."

"Okay, oh…wait, you mean Kuro is not your real name?" before Kuro could respond he started the car.

"Later Miss. Raitei, lets get to work." Kuro said, flashing a calm smile towards Emiko who looked surprised and then smiled herself.

To Be Continued

AN: I promise the next chapter will have action in it, stick around, you know you want to! Later.


	4. The First Return Part Two

Disclaimer: I would own it if I could, but I can't so I don't, see?

Get Backers Once More

Chapter Four: The First Return Part Two

Darkness permeated the room, the spotlessly clean apartment room made an oddity only by the number of neatly clipped newspaper clippings all over three corkboards opposite the fireplace.

A figure within the apartment sipped some expensive wine, admiring a painting he had just finished over the fireplace. It was an exquisite piece detailing the rise and fall of emperor, the colors cascaded and almost seemed to convulse on each other showing the passionate way this emperor lived his life. The painting, while only showing one image, the man collapsed in front of a sunset, told a story and spoke depths.

"Damn." The figure muttered just before his cell phone went off, waiting until it had rung five or ten times, the owner of the apartment reached into the buzzing pocket and flipped open the offending cell phone.

"Speak something important." The owner said with as little viciousness as he could allow. Listening to the secretary babble something over about her boss, the figure had to suffer over a transfer of hands until the "boss" actually spoke.

"Venn, we need you, we need you're work." The "boss" man said, the fat in his arteries so severe it was practically in his lungs, Venn smirked, content in the knowledge that this annoyance would be dying in three months tops.

"My work? Tsukanan Co. needs my paintings; I didn't realize I was that popular." Venn said drolly with a chuckle suppressed again to the best of his abilities.

"No Venn, we need you for your "night" profession, we have a shipment that needs…damn how the hell do you put it,"

"Take your time, put that nice secretary on." Venn joked again, enjoying the noticeable rise in the "boss's" blood pressure.

"We need your help in "assisting" a shipment of ours, a retrieval service has already begun interfering-"

"A _what_ service?" Venn asked, the interest thought dead, rising again.

"A retrieval service, yes, my secretary and I hardly believed it at first either but our contacts assure us of that fact, we need you." Putting the phone down at this point, Venn rose up from the plush leather seat and towards the cork board news pages. Fingering some of choice interest, the goal one was found, actually it was more of an old advertisement for.

"The Get Backers…" Venn stated with grin that practically spoke on its own.

"Venn…hello…are you there…damn it…why the hell do we put up with his shit, cross gen-"

"I'll take the job, I expect the standard fee plus a little extra in lieu of me castrating you for that little remark you were about to make." The non-sound of a heart skipping a few beats was all the indication Venn needed to terminate the call. After a quick trip to the closet, Venn had only to put on some white gloves to complete his look.

"Damn brush." Muttered as Venn sucked whatever "paint" was still left in the offending finger.

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A truck barreling down the express way of a highway somewhere near Kyushu would normally draw some attention, maybe a passing glance, possibly a statement or two about the profession of trucking. However, if said truck were to have an escort or say, five escorts of black sedans, then maybe a slightly longer conversation would be had about, maybe, the possible reason as to why the truck was being escorted in such a manner, or to where such a guarded parcel would be going or why. Now, if said truck were currently having a slight "changing of hands" period where the drivers of the escort cars were having a little "discussion" with some new outside party then…

"Emiko! I thought you said you could drive!" Kuro yelled out from atop the truck towards its rear, towards the Amano descendant who was currently swerving in his old beat up Ford Escort.

"I did, I mean I can, I'm just…not used to American cars, that's all!" the blond girl shouted and oddly enough managed to pout at the same time. Kuro muttered a few obscenities and proceeded with his other current problem.

"Who the fuck do you people think you are?" Politely asked one of the trucks non driving escorts who had had his post midnight shift nap ruined by a certain black wearing green eyed man.

"Oh me? I'm just Jonathan Cash." Kuro responded, putting his sunglasses well over his pupils before he rushed his opponent, driving his heel deep into his skull. Hearing the click of a gun behind him, Kuro whirled on his heel, and leaped straight up, beating the stream of bullets by a hare's width. Landing behind another armed guardsman, Kuro swiped at the back of his neck effectively knocking him out.

"That was cool Kuro, how'd you do that?" Emiko asked from right beside the raven haired retriever.

"Damn it; tell me why you're here as opposed to driving my shit mobile?" Kuro muttered, bringing his hand to his hair.

"Well, I…you see…" the citrus haired girl had no reason to verbalize the rest as Kuro could soon see that the Ford Escort was now currently **attached **to the back of the tanker. Kuro then seriously considered using his "talent" to carve up the Amano descendant but then opted for the nicer solution.

"That's coming out of your share you know." Kuro stated with no room for argument evident in his voice as Emiko pouted again.

"But what was that thing you did, with your hands, cutting those guys in the right places so-"

"Damn it girl!" Kuro yelled pulling Emiko and himself down with bullets by way of the escort cars sailing over. "I thought you said Ginji trained you!"

"Yeah he did, in self defense wasn't that…?" Emiko was cut off by a bullet that whizzed past her nose. She then shrieked a little and backed away quickly.

"Idiot, go back too far and you'll fall off the truck!" Kuro yelled, stretching out and grabbing the tearing girl back.

"I'm sorry, it's just I'm new at this and…I'm sorry." Emiko said looking down, not liking seeing disappointment or frustration in others, the daughter of Raitei began to tear up again.

"Look just stay here, and try not to do anything…ok?" Kuro said. Taking a quick glance up and towards the escort cars, a sudden blow out of tires could be heard as every last one of the escort cars swerved left and right and finally just went off road.

Deeply gasping and sweating profusely, Kuro had to take a knee for a moment.

"What was that, what did you do?" Emiko asked, confused and more than a little afraid. She then gasped as she saw Kuros' eyes.

"K-Kuro-Chan, your eyes, they're red!"

"Yeah I know, ain't it cool?" Kuro asked, in a voice slightly off. Before Emiko could react, Kuro impaled his index and pointer fingers into the truck, cutting a semi circle in the steel hull as easily as tearing up a tissue, Kuro blinked a few times and turned to his partner.

"Can you get the girl, the hostage I mean? She's in there somewhere." Emiko nodded slowly, still not fully grasping everything that was going on around her.

'Is this real, what am I…what am I doing?' she thought to herself lowering herself down through the hole and into the tankers interior. Seeing her descend, Kuro stood up and with a few leaps, made his way to the driver side window. The driver, so far being in denial that his truck was being over taken, now finally accepted that fact and drew a gun.

"Huh, a nine millimeter, don't see many of those any more." Kuro commented to underscore his foot bashing through the window and sending the hapless driver out through the other window. Taking control, Kuro looked around the truck and found to his horror:

"Shit, I can't drive stick let alone double clutch." This was not to be a problem as a pedestrian soon made his way out unto the highway, stretching his right of way ability a bit too far. With an obscenity and a quick brake, the truck screeched to a halt.

"Hi there, can I possibly get a ride with you?" the figure asked, an impossibly big red and black hat covering his face, making it so that only red lips could be seen. These colors could of course also be seen in the figures black and red tie, dress suit and slacks.

"Oh…damn it all…the radio doesn't work." Kuro said, staring down the apparent man on the Kyushu expressway.

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"Are you alright?" Emiko asked as she untied the bonds of "Mr. Kido's" daughter, along with all the other people in the tanker. Luckily no detective work was needed on the retriever's part as the girl who she was untying was the only female hostage.

"Y-y-yes, I'm fine. Who are you?" Emiko didn't quite know how to respond to that as she suddenly remembered Ban telling her to make a big statement about her name.

"Well I'm, the Thunder Empress Emiko Amano? No, that's stupid…Lightning Lass…even dumber…whatever, I'm Emiko Amano and- what's that?" Emiko suddenly asked, her attention drawn to a small chamber built into the side of the tanker. Emiko wasn't sure, but from what she could gather, the chamber looked like it had someone in it.

"Oh, that. The guards were afraid of that." the target girl said.

"Really, I wonder who this," Emiko paused to read the name on the chamber, wondering why the other hostages too were crawling away from it, "Kuroudo Akabane is?" Emiko wasn't sure, but she could almost _feel_ a smile from nowhere…

000000000

"Are you coming out? Don't make me beg now." The androgynous figure stated with a chuckle. Kuro lightly tapped the steering wheel out of frustration and got out of the truck.

"Who the hell are you supposed to be? Dante? A little effeminate don't you think?" Kuro said while lighting a cigarette. His opponent could only chuckle again.

"No dear retriever, my name is Venn, and you have just stumbled into an unfortunate little event." Kuro would have raised an eyebrow at this, or maybe at the guys' voice, or well…womanly body, but he could smell blood and more currently, he could feel his opponents' lust for more. Then, as good theatrics, a cool breeze blew over the country side, as blood and smiles were to come.

To Be Continued


End file.
